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Mothercare Maternity bra

This is my second pregnancy and even though I bought maternity bras the first time round I pretty much wore them to death day in day out so I needed to get some news ones this time.

My boobs get quite big during pregnancy and so I need something that is quite sturdy and that will hold up through everyday wear. For just during the day when I am running around after my toddler, Mothercare t-shirt bras are perfect. What I really like about them is that they have clean lines and are not patterned at all so you can wear them under tight fitting tops and they will not show up lumps and bumps, they just give you a nice smooth flowing look.

When you are pregnant it is recommended that you do not wear underwire as the underwire could damage your delicate breast tissue which gets more delicate the more pregnant you are. I have also heard that it may affect your milk ducts so if you are planning on breast feeding I recommend it is best to stay away from underwear. Luckily these bras do not have underwire. The do have quite a sturdy band around the bottom of them so if you are worried about a bit of drooping don't as these bras are quite good at holding up your breasts and giving them support without underwire.

According to Mothercare these bras are technically designed to include supportive fabric, thicker straps, extra-soft elastic, broader sides and back and a deeper centre front to give maximum support and comfort to your bust. They fit really nice and snugly and are really very comfortable, I can wear them all day without them digging in or needing to take them off at any point. I really like the deeper centre front. The bras I had for my first pregnancy seemed to have quite a high front and this often showed when I was wearing low cut tops but this time the deeper centre front does not show at all under my clothes.

I bought a black bra and a white bra because these will go with most of my clothes but you can also get a neutral coloured one too. They cost £14 each which I don't think is too bad and come in sizes, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and cups B, C, D, DD.

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Great support!

It is recommended that you avoid underwired bra's during pregnancy as the wires can press into the delicate breast tissue.. You're breasts are like a million times more tender during pregnancy and wearing push up, underwired bras that may well make your boobs look amazing is also going to cause you a lot of discomfort and pain.

- - - My Experience - - -

I thought I had pretty average boobs really and had been a "DD" cup for a few years, but when I found out I was pregnant i realised that was soon to change. My boyfriend obviously wasn't going to complain and he still isn't now, but I soon grew out of my old bra's and needed to be fitted for a Maternity bra.

The idea of it made me shudder as I'd always been in fancy sexy looking bras. I sucked it up, and went into my local Mothercare store where a lovely lady took me into the changing room to be measured, to my shock and absolute horror I had gone up to an "F" cup by my 12th week of pregnancy, I didn't believe her at first and asked her to double check. I'd been squeezing my swollen boobs into a Double D for a couple of months with great discomfort.

She fetched out an F and a G cup for me to try, and the F cup fit like a glove. It felt amazing, I couldn't believe I'd been torturing my boobies for the past 6 weeks or so squeezing them into my old bras. OK so it isn't the most attractive of bra's but it was bloody well comfortable. Nice thick straps around the bottom and round the back, and thicker straps for your shoulders.

I've also got a double pack of Maternity bra's with nursing straps, so I can breastfeed easier, they're pretty much the same as this bra but with little clips so you can reveal you're breast without having to take your top off or take the bra itself off.

- - - Features of the Bra - - -

OK so it's just in plain black, but there is also white available! Woo! I wasn't really fussed on the colour anyway, it's just a basic T-shirt bra, i wasn't expecting glitter, lace and tassly bits. The bra has some great features for good support but most importantly, maximum comfort.

- Soft supportive fabric for those tender breasts.- Thicker Straps, as the weight of you're growing breasts are going to need more support on your shoulders so the straps don't dig into your skin.- Soft elastic so the bra is flexible around you're frame.- Broader sides and back for extra comfort, again so the bra doesn't dig into your skin.- Deeper centre front giving maximum support and comfort for your whole breasts.

- - - Price - - -

There is quite a range of maternity bra's available on the Mothercare website, you may be able to find a bargain as they have various bra's on sale at any one time. The T-shirt bra cost me £7 in the sale, and my multi pack of nursing bra's were also in the sale at £12.

- - - Overall - - -

Depending on the size of your store, you may have to be fitted in store and order off the internet. Thankfully my store had a couple in my size, but there wasn't any choice of "sexier" bra's, it was just your basic black and white bra's. There are some more attractive ones on the website, but to be honest I'm good with sacrificing sexyness for some comfort for the rest of my pregnancy, and my boyfriend doesn't mind either. I couldn't imagine squishing my tender boobs into a push up bra for some time yet.

I'd recommend this bra to any mum to be. OK it may not be the sexiest of bra's but it's soft, comfortable and supports your whole breasts. I do miss my push up bra's that made my boobs look more perky and what not, but I'm so glad I went and got fitted for proper maternity bra's, I can't imagine the pain I'd be in now if I hadn't got them.

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A good bra for pregnancy, but not beyond.

I was horrified to learn while I was pregnant, that there is a possibility that underwired bras may damage the soft breast tissue during pregnancy. Keen to do the right thing, and with underwiring out, I needed to buy some more bras urgently, but couldn't find any non-underwired bras in any of the high street stores (except in Marks and Spencer, but I have never really found that their underwear does me any favours). So feeling like a fraud (you couldn't tell I was pregnant at this point) I headed to Mothercare for a bra fitting and hoped that they would have a good selection of non-underwired bras.

After my fitting (recommended when you're pregnant as your size is likely to change), I tried on a number of the Mothercare bras and eventually decided on this £14 M2b maternity support bra, as it was a good fit for me, comfortable and seemed like it'd probably be a good investment as it was a T-shirt bra and could be worn under most of my tops.

According to the Mothercare website, 'Maternity bras are technically designed to include supportive fabric, thicker straps, extra-soft elastic, broader sides and back, and a deeper centre front to give maximum support and comfort to your bust', and after wearing this bra a lot during my pregnancy, I can certainly vouch that this was very comfortable and supportive for me.

The bra has washed well, and gives a smooth silhouette when worn under sheer tops. It is also available in a 'nude' colour which I purchased subsequently as I was so pleased with the black one.

These two bras virtually saw me through my entire pregnancy, but in hindsight I wish I'd bought maternity bras that enabled nursing. These do not have nursing clips and so their usefulness is limited to pregnancy, unless of course, you get accustomed to non-underwiring and wear them after your pregnancy as well. It was also a shame that they do not come with matching knickers, although, because they are so plain, it is no hard to find coordinating knickers from other ranges.

The bras are not pretty, but are comfortable and practical. They are also cheaper than many of the maternity bras that are available. For an everyday bra, they do the job very well, and I would recommend them. However, if you are planning to breastfeed, I would recommend buying maternity bras with nursing clips so you can increase the longevity of the product.

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Not for me!

I have always been a lady who adores nice underwear. I was the queen of matching sets and dreaded the rare occasions when I left the house without one on, being extra careful in case I was run down by a bus.

So when I got pregnant and I could no longer wear pretty under wired bras I was really upset. So I shopped around and bought a range of bras that from Rigby and Peller, FIgleaves and Mothercare.

Now I was lucky??? enough to be a 30FF before I got pregnant and the first problem I had was that no-one makes maternity bras in a 30 back so I had to get sized 32. Also my boobs shot up to a 32 GG within 3 months so I was really limited in what I could get.

The Mothercare M2B range are cheaper than most - costing around £14 per bra which is really reasonable (considering I paid £45 at Rigby and Peller). I was lucky enough to get my bra in the sale too so got it for a bargain price of £6!

The whole Mothercare bra range is really reasonably priced so if you are pregnant they are worth a try.

What sizes do they sell?In some sizes from 32A - 40H so there is a good range of sizes, probably something to fit most people!

What colours do they come in?Black, white and red so you will look stylish!

What is it like to wear?Well this is wear my problems started. I purchased a red version of this bra and was surprised how thin the elastic band around the bottom of the bra was. It looked as if it might dig in slightly (I should have known at this point not to buy it but I saw a bargain!) Also the cups were padded which in a 32 GG bra is totally unnecessary!

Wearing the bra was ok looks wise, it was impossible to see it under your clothes and there were no lumps and bumps visible which was great.

The problem is that for larger busts the thin elastic band just rides up and down your back when you are walking, rubbing your skin and if it ends up in a certain position it really digs in and is so uncomfortable.

now when I was pregnant comfort was absolutely paramount so I thought that this, although ok to look at was a total waste of time. I would recommend buying a more expensive, well made bra that will keep you in comfort!

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A great maternity support bra

Like all women during pregnancy my body is going through a major change! I'm 17 weeks pregnant with my first child (a little girl as we have just found out!) and I'm hardly showing at all, maybe if I'm wearing a skin tight top you might see a slight curve! On part of me which has changed significantly is my chest area! I've always been quite a standard normal size for a woman I think but I have already gone up two sizes and apparently you go up about four on average. Now I'm 5ft8 and naturally a size 8 so my chest is looking a bit large for my body frame!

Time to get maternity bras! I love lingerie and have a wonderful collection of bra and knicker sets which I have now put away until I can wear them again! I visited Mothercare with my mother last weekend to get a few bits and pieces. One section I visited was the maternity lingerie. I was surprised by the amount of choice but was disappointed with the different styles! Plain is back in it seems!

After talking with a sales assistant I opted for the M2b Support Maternity T-Shirt Bras. They come in sizes 34B to 40DD and come in a range of colours such as black, white, baby pink and neutral. The sales assistant said that it should be fastened on the tightest fastening and should be at least two sizes than your current size (free fitting is also available).

Okay, so it's not the sexiest piece of underwear your going to find but it provides an amazing amount of comfort. Guidance advises pregnant women to not wear underwired bras as the wire can press against breast tissue which can cause discomfort. I have always worn an underwired bra purely as I like the feel of support. With the M2b Support Maternity T-Shirt bra I find myself thinking it is underwired! The amount of support is incredible it certainly doesn't let your boobs sag!

The straps on this bra are slightly thicker than your usual bra straps which again provide more support. The back fastening is quite large and it has three fastening options should you need to loosen it or tighten the bra. The bra cups are of a medium thickness and the front of the bra is quite deep which gives maximum support and comfort. The bra's overall fabric is incredibly soft and smooth which means less irritation to the skin, M2b also uses extra-soft elastic for extra comfort which is a nice touch.

I find this bra incredibly easy and comfortable to wear. As soon as I changed from a normal underwired bra I noticed the difference immediately. My back and bust was instantly supported and the larger straps and bra cups kept my bust up rather than drooping down which can happen with a normal non wired bra. I don't sleep in my bras so I can't comment on what it feels like to sleep in although the Mothercare sales assistant said that they are comfortable to sleep in should you wish to.

The bra is made from 38% polyamide, 40% polyester, 10% elastane and 12% cotton and costs £14.00. The M2b Maternity Support T-Shirt Bra is only available from Mothercare stores and is also available online.

I really couldn't ask for anything more in a maternity support bra (I'm glad I bought three!) and should my bust increase in size I will be buying from the same range again. I would definitely recommend to any woman who is currently pregnant as being comfortable is so important and at £14.00 it is hardly going to break the bank!